Instructions

ZOOM IN by clicking on the page. A slider will appear, allowing you to adjust your zoom level. Return to the original size by clicking on the page again.

MOVE the page around when zoomed in by dragging it.

ADJUST the zoom using the slider on the top right.

ZOOM OUT by clicking on the zoomed-in page.

SEARCH by entering text in the search field and click on "In This Issue" or "All Issues" to search the current issue or the archive of back issues
respectively.
.

PRINT by clicking on thumbnails to select pages, and then press the
print button.

SHARE this publication and page.

ROTATE PAGE allows you to turn pages 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise.Click on the page to return to the original orientation. To zoom in on a rotated page, return the page to its original orientation, zoom in, and
then rotate it again.

CONTENTS displays a table of sections with thumbnails and descriptions.

ALL PAGES displays thumbnails of every page in the issue. Click on
a page to jump.

Laws are implemented to
protect and serve the popu-
lation and not stifle us. I am of
the unmoving opinion that our
society is not only ready for
but greatly needs the Constitu-
tion Amendment (Capital
Offences) Bill. The bill seeks to
reintroduce the death penalty
for murderers and we have the
misfortune of being infested by
such apathetic criminals. As
commendably as they have
tried, the Government has still
not been able to sufficiently
deter these people from taking
lives. The police service and
our existing laws can only reach
so far into the murkiness of
such crimes and the individuals
responsible (for our citizens
deaths) continue to grow more
soulless.
I would like to firstly address
the part time lovers of humani-
ty. Please, do not go down the
path you are about to. I m well
aware you are entitled to free
speech, but how can any
rational and supposedly com-
passionate person defend the
untenable? I m certain you have
heard the infinite anguish of
family members who have lost
a loved one to homicide. Pain
is pain and have you ever con-
sidered amid your self righteous
rants what the victim(s)
endured? I m sorry, but vio-
lently ending a life is not an
accident. Premeditated murder
is not a mistake. Multiple stabs
or gunshot wounds are not
momentary lapses. These peo-
ple kill because they choose to
and because they fear nothing,
especially not time in a jail cell.
Their actions are unforgivable.
I wish this fate on no-one,
but it bears repeating that until
you have lost someone to mur-
der, you are merely a detached
spectator. I m sure this makes
your self-proclaimed nobility
that much easier because you
believe championing the cause
of the accused is the "decent"
and "humane" thing to do.
The Government s move to
implement this bill is more
humane than allowing these
criminals to exist in a vacuum
of destitution, violence and
warfare. Death would be a far
less painful alternative for these
persons and trust me, I am not
being facetious. These individu-
als end their own lives with the
thrust of a blade or the pulling
of a trigger. So do not for one
second believe they are being
cheated. Why allow them to
live a life they have no respect
or appreciation for? In fact,
both society and these persons
are being saved from each
other. We would not have the
threat of more homicides and
the individual is removed from
a world in which they were
obviously unfulfilled living in.
Such a person relinquished
their right to be called human
the moment they took a life. I
agree taking a life does not
return a life, but it gives much
needed closure and eliminates
the possibility of repeat offend-
ers.
Apart from reducing the
prison population that contin-
ues to be supported by our tax-
payer dollars, we need a power-
ful deterrent for such criminals
and I believe the death penalty
is certainly it. Let them know
making such a choice will
result in only one outcome for
him/her. Outside of the dan-
gerously idiotic and the shock-
ingly fearless, no individual
wants to die and the thought of
being put under is not a wel-
comed future. Even the grittiest
"bad man" does not want to
face the Reaper. But if you are
willing to take a life, then so
too should yours be taken from
you. They truly do not deserve
our pity or compassion.
So to my fellow citizens,
before you board the ship that
sails against the tide of support
for this bill, please consider
how many innocent lives have
been viciously taken from us by
these monsters that continue to
live. We have to put an end to
it.
A25
viewpoint
Wednesday, December 24, 2014 www.guardian.co.tt Guardian
CENTRE STAGE
Zachary Persad
via e-mail
T&T NEEDS HANGING BILL
Please permit me space in your
valuable paper to express my heart-
felt thanks on behalf of the resi-
dents of Mayaro and environs to
the Prime Minister of the Republic
of Trinidad and Tobago, the Hon-
ourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar SC,
MP, for the new temporary Man-
zanilla-Mayaro Road.
Over the recent weeks residents
have had to use alternative routes
that were very time consuming and
not easy on the pockets. We appre-
ciate the swift movements of the
Ministry of Works and Infrastruc-
ture to deliver this road in time for
Christmas.
All of this without any hostile
protests or burning of tyres in this
season of peace, love and joy. It is
my hope that this "paves" the way
for better infrastructural develop-
ment for the area as Mayaro re-
mains one of the true gems of T&T.
Merry Christmas to all from the
people of Mayaro.
Vicky Khadoo
Mayaro
Who are we
going to hang?
Anytime I get into arguments, a regu-
lar pastime, partly based on the fact that
I'm very opinionated, I immediately tell
whosoever I am arguing with that "yuh
cannot beat mi."
I do not make this hollow boast on the
grounds that I think I'm a "bad-john" or a
"bad man." It is always followed by "yuh
cannot beat what yuh cannot catch." It's
one of my very simple philosophies
which I live by and has allowed me to live
to see 60, in a couple days. It is with the
clear implication that I will run; and run
very fast.
So when I hear that Ms Santa threat-
ening to bring back the death penalty, I
wonder who they going to hang? Hang-
ing will require some clear steps. Since it
is that time of giving and I am feeling
semi-generous, please let me delineate
such steps. Delineate, for those who lack
the basic skill such as being able to turn
off a cell phone, simple means outline.
Step 1: To hang the criminals, one
must first catch them (See detection
rate).
Step 2: They must then be convicted
in a court of law (See conviction rate).
Step 3: The conviction must be upheld
by final court of appeal -- if and when we
can ever determine which institution it is:
the Privy Council or the CCJ (See the
conviction overturn rate).
Step 4: If all goes well hang, after ap-
proximately 20-25 years and a couple
million dollars.
Meanwhile, back on the hills one can
safely guess that the fellas on the re-
spective blocks learn to behave them-
selves. After all, Santa knows if you been
good or bad.
If the person selected to head the
fight against crime in Tobago cannot so
much as turn off his cell phone, I wonder
if he is capable of understanding deoxyri-
bonucleic acid (DNA). I wonder if he
could spell 'DNA'?
Rudy Chato Paul, Sr
D'abadie
QUEEN STREET SHOPPING
Thanks for temporary relief
This woman looks at rugs from a vendor who set up his stall on his car
along Queen Street, Port-of-Spain, yesterday. Both vendors and citizens are
trying to make the best of the last days of shopping before Christmas Day
tomorrow. PHOTO: ANDRE ALEXANDER